Barker did say he had Inde Navarrette do two different takes, one where Nikki is interested in Bear & one which she isn't & mixed the two takes to make her feelings purposefully vague because whether or not she was, the choice inevitably gets stripped away from her
Zachary Suico, a fencer who competes for Penn State Fencing, spoke to @outsports about how Heated Rivalry and Hudson Williams' portrayal of Shane Hollander impacted him as a gay Asian athlete:
“I read the book, and I watched the show, and honestly, I very much understand the idea that representation does matter. But when Heated Rivalry came out, I think on a personal level, it hit very differently [...] The main character is like a gay Asian male who is competing amongst a lot of amazing people,” Suico continued. “A lot about the show really resonated with me, and I felt very represented at that moment.”
“Hudson Williams’ portrayal of the character made me feel very supported in my life, and more confident in myself and what I wanted to do.”
🔗: https://t.co/iWLLw27JhZ
harris: if you had to swap bodies with someone on the team, who would you pick?
*shane drops his towel and walks butt naked into the showers*
troy: ilya
ilya: im flattered barrett, i know im the best possible option, strong, handsome, funn-
troy: yeah.. thats why
ilya: what?